Wednesday, September 25, 2002
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Wednesday, September 25, 2002 |
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Fall enrollment sets records at LaGrange College
The number of first-year students enrolled at LaGrange College hit an all-time high this fall as 229 day-program freshmen entered the institution. Residence hall numbers also set a record as nearly 500 students occupied campus living facilities. "Students and their parents appear to be noticing us and in increasing numbers," said LaGrange College President Stuart Gulley. "We attribute that to the many academic and physical plant advancements taking place on campus, and to the recognition we've received from outside sources, such as last week's U.S. News rankings." Released Sept. 13, the magazine's ratings placed LaGrange in eighth position out of 105 Southern comprehensive colleges. The college also was named one of the top 10 "best values" in the same category. Overall, 1,016 students enrolled at the college this falla number that matches the institution's second-largest count in 1991. The college's previous freshmen class record was set in 1989 with 219 students, a number that included both day and evening students at the time. "I wanted to go to a small school where I wouldn't be just a social security number," said Ashlee Mims from Atlanta, one of this year's freshmen. "I wanted to know my professors. "So when I came to LaGrange and saw the campus, I knew that this was where I wanted to go." Residence hall capacity at the college increased this fall, due largely to the addition of two new apartment-style buildings. That gain of 248 beds was reduced by about 100, however, with the almost total closure of two older halls to allow for renovations during this academic year. The new buildings proved attractive to returning students, and helped to create a 20 percent boost in on-campus living. They even persuaded several students to return to campus, including junior Ben Holland from Columbus. "The new apartments were definitely a deciding factor," Holland said, "because if it wasn't for them, I would have lived off campus. "It's much more convenient having your own kitchen, and it heightens the level of responsibility that you have." After this year's renovations are complete, the campus will be home to a new student center and roughly 650 on-campus beds. In addition to its traditional day program for undergraduates, LaGrange College hosts an Evening College for adult students and also a degree-completion program in Albany, Ga. A four-year liberal arts and sciences college affiliated with the United Methodist Church, the college is the oldest private institution of higher learning in Georgia and has an enrollment of about 1,000 students.
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